Miles Davis – In a silent way

What: The man himself needs no introduction, perhaps this album does? No, probably not.

With:Murakami – every book, story, sentence he has written. Each committed Murakami reader knows his books are filled with music. Some with classical music, some with pop. But to me his story’s are all pregnant with jazz. Perhaps it has something to do with the way he constructs his dialogues. They resemble jazz to me. Short sentences, to-and fro, interwoven with somewhat longer monologues in which the protagonist summarizes the antagonist. It’s a style I think works really well in his works because they always seem plot-driven.

There is not one writer that conveys the same passion for both music and literature. Or at least not one that I know of. And perhaps it’s these ingredients that make me feel right at home in each of his books, whether it is a 500+ page novel or a 6 page short-story. He doesn’t even have to mention music. It is there. For those who consider themselves non-jazz listeners this could prove to be the winning conjunction. But would you please be so provident, please, to always have John Coltrane’s My favorite things within reach? You’ll thank me while reading Kafka on the shore.